


Cold Hands

by soosuxx



Series: SOTUS: The Other Universes [5]
Category: SOTUS - All Media Types, พี่ว้ากตัวร้ายกับนายปีหนึ่ง | SOTUS: The Series (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-18
Updated: 2019-05-18
Packaged: 2020-03-07 06:49:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18867952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soosuxx/pseuds/soosuxx
Summary: Arthit ignored the presence of the ghost in his apartment at first.





	Cold Hands

  
  
  
It started out unbothersome. It only occurred as small sounds in the night, rattling keys, closing drawers, and switching of lights.

Arthit ignored the presence of the ghost in his apartment at first.

The "incidents" were unexplainable but only slightly inconvenienced him.

However, it slowly turned worse as time progressed. As he lies in his bed wide awake at 3:30 in the morning for the fourth time this week, he starts to realize that it isn't just going to go away.

It sounds as if someone is tearing down his living room. This isn't the first time it has happened, and usually, it stops after an hour or so. But not tonight.

Tonight is different.

Arthit throws his blanket off himself and thinks of his next move. His P'Earth, suggested to call a shaman, but he told her that wasn't necessary. Why he told her that? He didn't know, but he is starting to regret that decision now.

He gets on his feet and leaves his bedroom to face whatever is tearing his living room.

When he comes downstairs, nothing seems to have been moved. A quick glance into the kitchen confirms that everything is in place. He steps in and grabs a clove of garlic. Does garlic work with poltergeists? Who knows? It's almost 4 in the morning. He can't be blamed if he mistakes a poltergeist with another type of monster.

One thing he's sure of, though.

This is going to end tonight.

So he slowly makes his way into the middle of the living room, holding tight onto the clove of garlic.

"Listen, whoever or whatever you are. I have been very generous about keeping you here. I understand that the afterlife may get boring."

A low chuckle comes from behind the couch.

Arthit quickly turns to it just to be met with nothing. Absolutely nothing. It's the first time that the thing made a human noise, and he doesn't know if that should comfort him or warn him.

After his heartbeat had slowed a bit, he continues.

"B-but, I have a presentation tomorrow, and I would like it if I would be well rested for it." His heart starts beating fast again. "So if you can keep the noise to a minimum, that would be greatly appreciated."

The hairs on his neck stand up straight. Something has changed.

A quick glance around the room tells him that nothing moved. No sound can be heard.

Still, he feels uncomfortable.

He stiffens his back, hoping it would give him some strength to finish his message. "If you fail to do so, I  _will_  contact a shaman or whomever and have you sent back to wherever you came from!"

Something has changed again. It is almost too quiet and peaceful. The room was already silent, but still, for some unexplainable reason, it even became more silent. He doesn't trust this.

He absolutely doesn't like this.

"You know I didn't think you had it in you, but I stand tremendously corrected." A voice comes from behind Arthit. When he turns around, he comes face to face with the thing that has been pestering him for the past months.

Out of shock, he steps backward and falls on his couch.

Then, everything goes black.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


"Boo!"

Arthit's eyes instantly open because of the voice and of the cold hands on his arms. He almost falls again when he tries to stand up upon seeing the ghost, but he regains composure after taking a few steps backward. He isn't afraid, he convinces himself.

Now, Arthit has the chance to look at the cause of his sleepless nights. He didn't expect that whatever's haunting him is a human and... handsome?

That thought snaps him out of his shocked state.

He thrusts his clove of garlic to the other man. "Hmp! You heard what I said! You either quit your games or leave this place forever!" He is proud of how his voice didn't break. That doesn't count for his sanity, though.

The stranger gives him a grin and slowly makes his way towards Arthit until he stands in front of him. With shaking hands, Arthit pushes the garlic onto him while looking at the apparition directly in the eye.

But it does nothing.

Well, that didn't work out as he has planned. Defeated, he takes a look at the garlic clove in his hand, his brain rapidly thinking what else he could use against a ghost. A brush of something cold against his jaw pulls his brain to a halt. He looks up to see the other man eyeing him too curiously, as if he is waiting to see what Arthit's next move is going to be.

"I'm not a vampire. Think of something else," the apparition teasingly says.

"Well, at least I tried."

The apparition laughs at this. "You did."

That laugh, however, is too attractive for Arthit. He physically shakes his head at the thought and curls his brows at the apparition again.

"What could I give for your thoughts?" A smile graced the other's lips.

When the other man has spoken, Arthit notices how his own eyes keep on traveling back to the full lips that are a pale pink color.

"My name is Kongpob. I've been here for the past few decades." The apparition says as he circles around the other, eyeing him like prey. "And I got to admit... you are the most handsome person I have haunted yet." He comes to a stop right in front of Arthit.

Kongpob grabs the front of the other man's shirt, pulling him close. The shock on the shorter's face makes him chuckle a bit, but there is something in Arthit's eyes that tells him exactly what he is thinking. It definitely makes his next decision easier.

He puts his face closer, reaching for the other's lips when–

"Don't!" Arthit complains, eyes closed. "If you're going to kiss me, we have to take it slow!"

Kongpob's ghastly but pretty eyes blink a couple of times. "Take it slow?"

Arthit is also unsure why he said that, but kissing the ghost in front of him, to him, isn't really a bad idea.

The named apparition straightens his body and crosses his arms, looking up as if seriously thinking something.

Arthit wants to take back what he has said, but the other beats him to it.

"Okay."

"What okay?"

"I agree."

"You agree with what?"

"That we will take this slow."

A smile almost forms on Arthit's lips, but he quickly prevents it from showing.

"So, tell me something more about yourself, Arthit."

Arthit moves his gaze away from the ghost. "What do you wanna know?"

"I mean, I already know a lot about you. I even already saw you taking a bath, so..."

Arthit's jaw falls, and his face reddens at this. Of course, the ghost has already seen him naked, but Arthit just realizes it now. It shouldn't matter if the ghost is a regular ghost that he just needs to send away. But Kongpob is not a regular ghost. He's a handsome ghost. Arthit's naked body has been seen by someone handsome, and he isn't sure how to take that.

Arthit feels like he's about to combust out of embarrassment. So he turns around and heads back to his room without saying anything to the other.

When he reaches his bedroom, Kongpob is already lying on it as if he's waiting for him.

"Of course."

The ghost taps the bed to invite Arthit, who side-eyes him. He's still red from the conversation downstairs, but he still goes to his bed nevertheless.

"I thought we're taking this slow? We're already in the same bed." Kongpob teases him as Arthit positions himself on one side of the bed, back facing Kongpob.

"Shut up. As if you are giving me a choice."

"Oh. I am giving you a choice. If you want, I will leave you for tonight."

"Can you shut your mouth? I'm trying to sleep."

"For the presentation?"

"For the presentation."

Kongpob nods, but Arthit doesn't see it. "Well, I will take that as a 'yes you can stay here.'"

Arthit hushes him and falls silent afterward. He must be really serious that he needs to sleep now. Kongpob understands this, so he carefully shifts his body to a more comfortable position. Arthit remains quiet for a few minutes, but the other is sure he's still awake.

He's right. Arthit is still awake. Who would be able to sleep if there's a ghost lying beside him? He can't, especially now that the atmosphere changed again. Arthit becomes aware of it.

He waits for something to happen. The light would flicker. His drawer would open. The clothes in his closet would all fly around his room.

But none of those happen. What happens is that he feels an arm on him. The arm doesn't know where it should go, but it settled on Arthit's chest, closing him in a gentle hug.

The hug wasn't expected, but as it stays there, it feels welcome. Kongpob's arm and hand are cold. Even the body Arthit feels at his back is cold, but for some reason, Arthit feels warm.

And with that, he falls asleep.  
  
  
  
  
  


~

When Arthit wakes up, the coldness that gave him warmth is gone. But an imprint was left on his bed confirming that someone has lain there. This brings a small smile to his face.

The entire morning, he is in a good mood. He aces his presentation and whistles through the rest of his shift. When he comes home, he notices that nothing has been moved this time.

"Thank you," he whispers.

"You're welcome," somebody answers from upstairs.

Arthit is about to climb up when a cold hand stopped him at his arm. "Oh."

"Sorry, did I shock you?"

"Yeah," Arthit answers after recovering.

"Well, you need to get used to that."

Arthit bites his lower lip upon the thought. "Maybe I should."  
  
  
  
  
  


~

During the next month, they grow closer. Arthit is surprised when he comes home early one afternoon and Kongpob is sitting there on his couch in broad daylight. Apparently, ghosts are not limited to the night.

After that discovery, he manages to take Kongpob out in the open. Kongpob loves the diner a block away from Arthit's apartment, although he doesn't eat anything. They also go for long walks during the weekend. Kongpob just realized he loves long walks, and he often asks Arthit for them whenever he's free. Arthit obliges, of course. If not, he would be met with flying kitchenware, and Arthit hates flying kitchenware.

Then, a kiss happens somewhere.

Taking it slow, they said, so taking it slow, they did.

Arthit even introduces Kongpob to his friends, first as a friend, then as his boyfriend.

Slowly, like he did, everyone grows quite fond of Arthit's new boyfriend. They all like him, even Earth...

      
  
  
    
  
...although she does wonder why his hands are always so cold.

 


End file.
